Before in School Time
Growing up in Wilmington, North
Carolina, for Michael, basketball was a passion
-- an outlet for his boundless energy. As a sophomore
at Laney High School - averaging 25 points a game
for the junior varsity, the young Michael Jordan
expected a promotion that season to the varsity,
but it never happened. Disappointed, he worked
on his game that summer intensely in order to
never again suffer such a fate. Many see this
as a defining point in Michael's life in which
he became the fierce competitor he is today. Michael
made the varsity his junior season and went on
to average 23 points a game as a senior.
So how did this athletic wonder
rise to where he is today? Jordan was born in
Brooklyn, New York and raised in Wilmington, North
Carolina. Though he favored baseball as a youngster,
his outlook changed as his brother challenged
him to one-on-one basketball matches. Michael
was ironically cut from his high school varsity
basketball team, but eventually made it his junior
year.
College Time
He won a basketball scholarship
to the University of North Carolina, and showcased
the best of his airborne skills. Jordan achieved
great things on the court. In 1982 when he went
to college at North Carolina and played in the
NCAA. While he was only a freshman he drained
a 15-foot jump shot that won the Tar Heels the
NCAA championship against Georgetown. That was
the first time anyone paid attention to him.
From then on, everyone knew who
Michael Jordan was. In 1984 he left UNC after
his junior year to play in the NBA when the Chicago
Bulls drafted him. He was the third pick of the
first round. During the off season he returned
to UNC to finish his Bachelor of Arts Degree.
Here are the some of the awards
he won during his college time.
- Winner of the Dr. James Naismith
Award in 1984
- Winner of the John Wooden Award
in 1984
- Left North Carolina after his
Junior year
- Member of the NCAA Division
I Championship team in 1982
- Named NCAA College Player of
the Year in 1983 and 1984
- Unanimous selection for First
Team All-American in 1983 and 1984
Selection to the NBA
After college, Michael went on
to play for the U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball
Team where we was selected unamoisly. Then, he
was selected by Chicago in the first round (third
overall) of the 1984 NBA Draft. He played for
the Chicago Bulls, leading the team to six NBA
Championships. In 1996 he made his big screen
debut in Space
Jam.
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